Shooting Game for Multiple Players with Dynamic Shot Position Recognition on a Paper Target

ABSTRACT

The embodied invention is a method and equipment suitable for a shooting game with dynamic shot recognition and automatic scoring among multiple players firing at the same target. Each player&#39;s shot is scored based on a difference in the target&#39;s image from a prior image as viewed by a camera. The scoring target is aligned with the camera, and the output of the score change is displayed to the multiple shooters.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. Ser. No. 15/474,874filed on Mar. 30, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisionalapplication No. 62/493,100 filed on Jun. 22, 2016. The priorapplications are included by reference herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

This invention is directed to a shooting game where multiple playersshoot at the same target in a competitive setting. The score for eachplayer is automatically updated when each player takes their turn.

(2) Description of Related Art

Shooting at targets dates back to antiquity.

In modern times, competitive rifle/pistol scoring is commonly done byshooting at a paper based target with suitable markings for scoring. Theshooter's score is determined based on the position of holes made in thetarget, and scoring markings. An accurate result is determined when thetarget is closely examined.

Others have worked in the field to improve the scoring. For example,there are shooting scoring apps (i.e. Target Scan app for iOS) where aphotographed (or scanned) paper target is examined for the location ofthe shots and the total score is determined electronically. To improvethe accuracy of the scoring, a lighted background (or white backgroundpaper) is added behind the target to contrast the target vs the openingscreated by a shot. The system then distinguishes the center of a shotfrom the area weighted geometry of the hole. The software can havedifficulty recognizing a shot accurately, and a manual option is givento the user to correct or place a shot to be scored.

Similarly, CN1347040 also describes a scoring system where a target withbullet holes is analyzed for scoring. However, no disclosure was made asto how a shot was located in the camera image frame, and how a score wasdetermined.

US patent application US20140106311 describes a shooting training systemwhere a shot is displayed to the shooter by alternating views of thecurrent target vs an image capture the target image before the latestshot. This system only captures images and does not generate anautomatic score, and does not determine a shot location in any cameraimage capture.

There are problems with this type of scoring system. In a shootingcompetition, it can take an undesirable amount of time to determine ascore for a shooter vs other competing shooters. Multiple targets haveto be retrieved, scanned, and the results have to be tabulated manuallyfor each player. A target scanning type of scoring system does not lenditself to instant updates on a shooter's score. Such delays inretrieving a score dampens the sense of competition among the shooters.Also, the scanning systems cannot separate the score between multipleshooters on the same target.

Similarly, US patent publication no. 20100178967 and U.S. Pat. No.4,898,391 describe a shooting game with a target and a gun that sends abeam of light to a game console for scoring against the target.Unfortunately, this type of scoring system does not use a gun whichfires real bullets and is a less satisfying game to play.

Currently, during a shooting competition match, the paper target isoften at a significant distance and binoculars or other visual aids mustbe used to estimate the current score. The end result is that the exactscore is difficult to determine until the match is over. US20140106311describes a method whereby the target is monitored by a remote cameraand the target image is sent back to a player. However, this system doesnot provide any automated scoring.

Shooting in a multi-player competition often requires a separateshooting lane for each player, and this can be expensive, particularlyin an indoor shooting situation. Also, each player is not able to watchthe other player shoot.

It is possible for multiple shooters to compete in a single lane andhave each player shoot at their target in sequence. However, this isless desirable in a competitive shooting situation as the target must beretrieved for each player and scored separately. A new target has to beplaced (manually or automatically) at the shooting distance. These typesof delays diminish the competitive environment due to the loss ofplaying momentum.

What is needed is an instant type of scoring system where multipleplayers shoot at the same target in a competition in a way which adds tothe feeling of competitive tension in the game. The current art lacksthis important feature. It is preferable that a shot by shot competitionbe created where each incremental score is shown to all of the shooters,thereby adding increasing game tension. The tension will increase as thegame progresses, and may be very high for the last two or three shots.This can lead to a very satisfying competition and elated feelings forthe victor, or victorious team.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The embodied invention is a method and equipment suitable for a shootinggame with dynamic shot recognition and automatic scoring among multipleplayers firing at the same target. Each player's shot is scored based ona difference in the target's image from a prior image as viewed by acamera. The scoring target is aligned with the camera, and the output ofthe score change is displayed to the multiple shooters.

Important game enhancements include a dynamic update of the referencetarget image to follow multiple shot holed. When a significant change isdetected from a reference target image, a shot event is recognized andthe area of change identified for the placement of the shot. The shotscore is then accumulated in a display that is viewable by all players.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 shows a shooting gallery lane designed for the multi-playertarget game system.

FIG. 2 shows a detail of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a player's view of the shooting gallery.

FIG. 4 is a simplified profile view of the shooting gallery.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are block diagrams for how the latest shot is recognizedand the score is determined.

FIG. 7 illustrates how the camera pixel sensors and an averaging filterare used to identify a shot location.

FIG. 8 is a game display showing the players their score and shotpositions.

FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate how the target image distortion is corrected whena camera is located above the target.

FIG. 10 shows communication flow between equipment components.

FIG. 11 shows a typical game display partway through the game showingadditional features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The embodied shooting game is a competition among different players whoshoot at the same target. A camera monitors the target and relays thetarget image to a screen that is viewable by all players. The players,in turn, shoot at the target and the shot hole is automaticallyrecognized by looking for a significant change in the target image fromshot to shot. The shot placement is identified and a display marker isplaced over the shot hole on the target. The camera image is alsoautomatically scrutinized to determine the score of the shot. Thecurrent shooters overall score is updated and displayed on a gamescreen. When the first player completes his/her turn, the next playerbecomes the shooter.

The conceived game is based on two to four shooters per game, and thenumber is adjustable based on a setup that is logged into the displayequipment. Each shooter gets 5, 7, 10, 14, or 20 shots. Each player inturn utilizes a button to switch the scoring to the next player.

A 1080p wireless camera (1080×1920 pixels) with over 2 million pixels isused to monitor the paper target, and the paper target is mounted insidea metal frame. The frame is designed to fit the target paper tightly sothat the alignment between the camera is maintained and a set upcalibration is not needed when a new game is started. A fit of 1/32″ ortighter is preferred between the target paper and the frame. The camerais positioned in front of the target, and above it, so that the cameraobtains a high resolution image of the target. The alignment between thetarget and the camera is a set up function at the beginning of the game,or previously established. Preferably, the camera is kept at a fixeddistance and position from the target to simplify the set up andaccuracy of the cameras image.

The camera, and automatic image post processing, must be able torecognize when a shot is made and score it accurately. This is done bycontinuously monitoring the output of the target camera and observingwhen there is a significant image pixel change.

The ability of the camera to recognize a shot depends partly upon thesignal to noise ration. Modern digital image sensors in cameras haveknown errors that create signal noise. In general, the total noise isdependent on the noise factor, background, readout noise, and EM gain.The sensor noise must be filtered out in order to recognize a shot.

In one embodiment of the invention, a single board computer is used tointerface between the camera and the scoring display. The single boardcomputer is suitably programmed to perform the automatic scoringfunctions and display any scoring on the game display.

The game display may be any type of display that has a high enoughresolution image. Typical game displays would include especially 1080pcapable high definition TVs and monitors. There is no preference forplasma, LED, or LCD televisions.

At the end of a game round, the total score for each shooter isautomatically computed and displayed under each player's name. Theplayers help the game by clicking on their name when switching shooters.

Typical target scanning is done by using an 1080p camera viewing a 18″wide by 24″ tall target. Pixel changes due to a bullet impact in animage frame are used to identify a shot. The image from the camera iscontinuously monitored to recognize the location of the shot and scoreit accurately.

To aid in understanding the game, FIG. 1 shows significant elements ofthe game setup. A players stand for shooting 101 has a game display 102which displays multiple players on the screen. The output of thewireless camera displays the current target image. Each players score,the target, and marks of their shot positions are also shown on thescoring display. A keyboard (or a dedicated control box) include nextplayer, previous player, display, game start, game setup, and game end.Also, a setup screen is used to pick the target type, number of playersper game, the ammunition type, and the number of shots per player.

The target assembly 110 is shown in FIG. 1 The paper target 103 ishoused inside a metal frame 107 and connected to the motorized targettrolley 105 through a mounting clip 108. The motorized target positionermoves on a rail 104 to set the target at the correct distance from theplayer. The target camera 106 is attached to the target positioner witha good and clear view of the target.

A target frame attaching clip 108 connects the target frame 107 with thetarget trolley 105. The trolley rides on the rail 104 and travels to thecharging station 109 during the normal course of shooting. An additional(optional) overhead game display 110 provides game status to theplayers. The charging station is connected via communication cables 112a,b to the game displays (FIG. 2). The target trolley is batteryoperated, and charges at the charging station through contacts 113 a,b(FIGS. 1 & 2). LED lighting 114 is used to illuminate the target.

When a shot hits the paper target 103 (or inadvertently hits the metaltarget frame 107), there can be a significant motion on the target dueto the impact, causing a local area to move backward. Also, the bulletimpact can cause the target to shift in position, relative to thecamera, with vibration or motion. This vibration can cause a significantenough change for a group of pixels to falsely report an area of where ashot has penetrated the target. The vibration can also be subtle, withthe impact of the bullet causing a change in reflectivity on the targetsurface, also causing a significant enough change for a group of pixelsto falsely report an area of where a shot has penetrated the target.

To minimize the effect of the target vibration and reflectivity changes,the frequency of how often the target image is analyzed can be varied toa more suitable time to allow the target and camera vibration todissipate. An interval of 1 second has been found to be optimal inimproving the reliability and accuracy of determining the shot location.

The camera view of the target is distorted as the angle of the target isnot perpendicular to the camera view. The angle depends upon theposition of the camera, which is preferably above the target. This isnot a concern as to identifying the shot, but is important in scoringeach shot correctly. The lower edge of the target is narrower than thetop. The result is that there are fewer pixels per inch at the bottomedge of the target than at the top.

To facilitate improved reliability and to simplify the equipment needs,the wireless camera is powered by a battery that is rechargeable. Thebattery connects to a recharging station when target positioningassembly is moved to the players stand. In a preferred embodiment, themotorized target positioner is also battery driven.

The target image is preferably taken from the camera 106 with a 1080presolution. The sensor in the camera is a CCD type or a CMOS type.Typically, to obtain a color image, cameras use a Bayer color filterarray. The Bayer color filter array includes red, green, and blue lightfilters in a mosaic grid pattern in front of the individual camera pixelsensors. Typically, the Bayer 2×2 pixel filter grid comprises a greenand red color filter in the first row, and then a blue and green colorfilter in the second row. This 2×2 filter grid is repeated over theentire camera image sensor.

Since each camera pixel sensor only registers the light intensity of onecolor, the intensity of the other two color values at that sensor pixelare not known, and is missing information. To create an image file withfine detail, the other two colors at each of the four camera sensorpixels are interpolated using a de-mosaicing algorithm. This can be donein the camera or in a post processing algorithm.

Typical de-mosaicing algorithms include copying the colors fromneighboring sensor pixels, averaging different colors from nearby sensorpixels, or using linear interpolation of nearby colors. The goal is toreasonably estimate all three colors at each camera sensor pixel.

In an alternate embodiment, the camera is a black and white camera andthe color information is ignored.

FIG. 3 is a player's view of the shooting gallery. As shown, playersstand behind the table and fire at the target. A display is shown abovethe players to identify which player is shooting and each players score.

FIG. 4 is a an alternate view of the shooting gallery showing a computerthat is used as a shot record and a user interface.

In FIG. 5 the first player to shoot presses start button 501 to begintheir shooting turn. The camera captures a continual baseline imageframe 502 of the target from the continuous target camera video stream.The target camera then watches for a significant change in the target504 by comparing current image with the previous baseline image 505. Ashot will be recognized when there is a significant pixel count withchanges 503. A shot will be recognized when more than 0.02% of thepixels change from image to image.

Typically, a video frame (i.e. shot image) is captured after 1 secondafter the shot to determine the score. This avoids issues with anyslight target motion or changes in reflectivity from the shot impact.The shot scoring method determines where the shot occurred on the targetand updates the player score. The one second criteria is adjustable.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram that shows how a shot is recognized. Thecamera records a target image at a frame rate of 60 frames per second. Abaseline target image is dynamically maintained at a predeterminedinterval (typically an image 1 second previously) relative to thecurrent target image frame transmitted by the camera.

-   -   1. The current target image is turned into a grayscale image by        averaging the Red-Green-Blue (RGB) colors in each target image        pixel 601    -   2. The current target image is smoothed by averaging each target        image pixel with the surrounding neighbor pixels (i.e.        surrounding 8 pixels, 5 pixels at the image edges) 602. This        helps to eliminate camera sensor noise.    -   3. The current target image is compared to the baseline target        image to identify any pixels with a change in value 603.    -   4. The shot is recognized by looking at each pixel with a change        and examining the surrounding 1×1 inch area. When the pixel        change count in the 1×1″ surrounding area is more than a        threshold value (such as 25%), a shot is recognized as having        taken place 604.    -   5. For scoring and identification purposes, the center of the        shot is placed at the average x, y image pixel location with a        change. This is narrowed to the shot recognized 1×1″ area 605.    -   6. The shot center position is then scaled to the target image,        scored, and reported to display screen 606.

The average value for the x and y coordinates of the changed pixelsidentify the center of the shot on the target. To identify the shot onthe game display, scoring marker (a circle or square) is then fittedaround the pixels with a significant change. Typically, the scoringmarker is a fixed size. For scoring purposes, the most important valueis the location of the shot center in reference to the score markings onthe target 604.

FIG. 7 is an additional information as to how the digital camerarecognizes a new hole position. A bullet hole is shown inside a 1″×1″area 701, which is made during a shooting game. To identify the imagechange due to the new hole, the 1″×1″ area surrounding the hole isoverlaid on top of a 10×10 grid representing camera resolution 702 of 10pixels per inch, The bullet hole is seen by the individual camera pixels703, and some pixels are directly affected and change in light intensity704 b due to the hole (black dot) no longer reflecting light. In thisillustration, 13 pixels have light intensities are directly changed toat least a small degree (i.e. black dot is touching). When the shot isfiltered to grayscale and run through the neighbor pixel averagingfilter, neighboring pixels 704 a are also changed in value due to beingaveraged with the directly affected pixels. In this illustration, 20additional neighboring pixels are changed. A shot is recognized because33% of the pixels in the 1×1″ area are recognized as having beenchanged, and this is above the 25% threshold.

To accurately place the shot position on the target, any distortionbetween the camera and the target has to be corrected. The distortioncorrection is accomplished by mapping each pixel from an (row, column)position to a (height, width) position.

The goal of distortion correction is to accurately re-create the targetimage and display it to the user. FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate how the imageis distorted which allows for a methodology to adjust the camera image.

FIG. 9A, shows how an image is distorted due to the position of thecamera, and how the image will be seen by the camera. The target 901 hasa projected image plane 902 which is perpendicular to the camera 903orientation. Evenly spaced dashed lines 904 at the target 901 edge passthrough the projected image plane to the camera, which shows how theimage is distorted due to the position and viewpoint of the camera. Thecamera sees the projected image on the projected image plane 902. Thiscauses the lower portion of the target to be compressed in the cameraview as seen on the projected image plane 902.

FIG. 9B is a left side view of FIG. 9A. In FIG. 9B, the projected imageplane 902 is shown across the width and projected (dashed) lines showhow the edges of the target image is sent to the camera. Uponexamination, it is seen that the largest adjustment to the camera imageis adjusting the vertical height of the image, particularly on the lowerportion. The height adjustment is not linear. The horizontal image willreceive corrections and the distortion changes as a function of height.

To correct the target distortion, one embodiment is to map out a grid ofchanges in a matrix format, based on the projected geometry, and thenapply the change grid to the image. This will establish a variablescaling and re-positioning of an image pixel based on the row and columnto an x,y position. The change grid can be established on graphicplotting at chosen grid points, such as every 2×2 inches, and thenlinear interpolating between the chosen grid points to establish acorrected (x,y) position for each image pixel. Although time consumingto establish, a grid/interpolating system can be effective as itinvolves basic matrix math and is relatively easy to understand. 3Dcomputer aided drafting (CAD) can be helpful in establishing projectinggeometry.

Another embodiment is to use analytic geometry to identify theintersection of a line with a plane. The first point of the line is thecamera position (x₁,y₁,z₁) and the second point of the line is aposition (x₂,y₂,z₂) of an image pixel as taken by the camera. All of thecamera image pixels are located in a plane perpendicular to the cameraorientation. The target is the intersecting plane with a plane equationof ax+by+cz=d where a, b, c, and d are constants. Utilizing knownanalytic geometry methods, the equation of the line defined by thecamera and image pixel can be projected onto the target plane. Thismethod can be used to establish a target position (x,y,z) for each imagepixel (row, column), effectively correcting camera distortion.

In either method, the image correction can be verified by utilizing atarget with easily recognizable shapes (circles, equilateral triangles,squares, crosses, etc) to determine if an image that is taken by thecamera is corrected satisfactorily.

In a preferred embodiment, the camera is located above the target and inclose proximity to it. This means that the camera is no further distanceto the target than the maximum width or the maximum height. Since thecamera is preferably located above the target, and out of the way ofshooting, the camera resolution per inch will be greater for the topportion of the target, and somewhat lower for the lower portion of thetarget. This adjustment in scale must be accounted for in the shotplacement. Typical view angles between the camera and the target are 0to 60 degrees (as measured from the horizontal plane), but this is not astrict requirement.

It is known that digital camera sensors have noise when taking a pictureor capturing a video frame. To that end, each pixel is gray-scaled byaveraging the pixel RGB values. Additionally, and to smooth out anytarget image pixels that might be incorrectly identified as a pixelchange, each pixel is then averaged with its immediately surroundingeight pixels. If an image pixel is on the edge of the sensor, then thepixel image is averaged with the five surrounding image pixels. Thiscreates an effective filter that smooths out image problems.

A particular problem with shooting is vibration of the paper target dueto the shot penetration. The target can vibrate in the area of the shotcausing the reflectivity of the target image to change immediatelyfollowing the shot. This creates unpredictable pixel changes andpotential shot misplacement. To avoid an inaccurate shot placement, thetarget is allowed to recover for approximately 1 second before a scoringplacement is made.

When working with the camera and lighting, it was discovered that thefrequency (i.e. 60 Hz) of the lighting on the target can causedifficulties with shot recognition. The camera scanning frequency maymatch that of the lighting frequency and this can cause a target imageshadow to be read as a changed target image frame. Consequently, a DC(direct current) based lighting system is preferred, such as a lightemitting diode (LED) which is powered by a constant voltage power supply(DC).

To further refine the shot recognition, the entire target is examinedfor a significant change, pixel by pixel. If a cluster of changes aredetected in a 1″×1″ square surrounding the changed pixel, then a shot isrecognized. The threshold of determining a shot is a value that isempirically determined. During a test on a typical web-cam type camerawith a CMOS sensor, a threshold of 25% was determined to be a goodbalance between sensitivity in detecting a shot and avoiding sensornoise which causes a false shot recognition. Other threshold values arepossible based on the type of camera chosen and the amount of camerasensor noise. A camera with a low noise sensor, for example, will use alower threshold that better identifies overlapping shots.

A typical camera that is useful for shot recognition will have an 8 bitresolution and captures color images. Also, a camera with a low sensornoise ratio is helpful in minimizing the amount of filtering required.Shot recognition is improved with a low signal to noise ratio. Thecamera could equally be a black and white which outputs a grayscaleimage. In this case, the grayscale image conversion is not necessary.

FIG. 8 shows a game display. Up to four players can shoot, and theirindividual shot scores (bold letters) along with a total for each playeris shown. The individual shot locations have been identified and markedwith an individualized geometric marker, such as a triangle, square,hexagon, and rhombus. Other marker geometry could equally be used.

The shot can be scored based on either the distorted camera image or thecorrected target image utilizing the target score markings. It isimportant that the score is accurate, relative to the location of themarkings on a distorted or corrected image. In one embodiment, theposition of the shot can be mapped based on a score mapping on thecamera image. The row and column position of each pixel can be groupedand assigned to a particular score.

FIG. 10 shows communication flow between equipment components. In apreferred embodiment, the camera 1002 views the target 1001 and ishardwired to a small dedicated single board computer 1003 whichwirelessly communicates to a game computer 1004 which is hardwired tothe game display 1005. A user interface 1005 (keyboard, button board) ishard wired to the game computer 1004.

The single board computer is generally conceived to include a CPU, bothvolatile and non-volatile memory, an operating system, onboardcommunications between distinct components, a wireless transmitter, andsuitable software programming to execute non-transient computerinstructions. For example, the single board computer could be selectedfrom the portfolio of the Raspberry Pi single board computers asmanufactured by the Raspberry Pi Foundation (United Kingdom).

FIG. 11 shows a shooting game, partway through game completion. A playerlist 1101 on the left side show the current player up to make the nextshot. The current player's total score 1102 is displayed. A header text1103 indicates the current player and current player's round. A list ofthe current player's shots along with the score per shot is displayed ina list 1106. A current target image 1104, along with display markers1105 on current player's recognized and scored shots is shown. Thisinformation on the display is helpful for game clarity and to enhancethe game competition by having feedback on any game status questions theplayers may have.

Each described embodiment incorporates image processing equipmentcomprising one or more Central Processing Units (CPUs), volatile RandomAccess Memory (RAM), non-volatile storage such as ElectronicallyErasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), flash, optical disk,magnetic disk, or solid state memory such as a solid state disk or amicro SD card. The described embodiments possesses at least one digitalcamera systems which may utilize an image sensor such as a complementarymetal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) or CCD, and the necessary electroniccircuitry to transmit the captured images for further image processing.

Alternate embodiments for the single board or game computer may containa Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) with methods to split the computationalworkload between the CPU and GPU. The described embodiments include auser interface that provides for the user to Each embodiment may possessa means of inputting user commands such as a keypad, keyboard,microphone, accelerometers, or touchscreen. Each embodiment may containan internal battery, accept interchangeable batteries, or receive powerfrom an outside source such as mains power. Each embodiment may containa wired or wireless network interface to enable communication to andfrom external devices. Although not necessarily utilized, a visualoutput device such as a monitor or touchscreen may be included withinany embodiment.

Digital cameras operate by recording light incident upon their sensors.There are many types of acceptable cameras with suitable imageresolution to identify a new hole made in the target. The conceiveddigital camera is preferably directly connected to the single boardcomputer via technologies such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire,and ethernet. Wireless transmissions from the single board computerinclude standards such as Bluetooth, WiFi, and cellular networks. Thedigital camera may also communicate via a Serial Interface or a ParallelInterface.

As used herein the terms single board computer and computer system areintended to refer to a computer-related entity, comprising eitherhardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or softwarein execution capable of performing the embodiments described. Thedisclosed embodiments which use the single board computer refer to beinginterfaced to and controlled by a computer readable storage mediumhaving stored thereon a computer program. The computer readable storagemedium may include a plurality of components such as one or more ofelectronic components, hardware components, and/or computer softwarecomponents. These components may include one or more computer readablestorage media that generally store instructions such as software,firmware and/or assembly language for performing one or more portions ofone or more implementations or embodiments of an algorithm as discussedherein. These computer readable storage media are generallynon-transitory and/or tangible. Examples of such a computer readablestorage medium include a recordable data storage medium of a computerand/or storage device. The computer readable storage media may employ,for example, one or more of a magnetic, electrical, and/or optical datastorage medium. Further, such media may take the form of, for example,floppy disks, magnetic tapes, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, hard disk drives, microSD cards, standard SD cards, and/or solid-state or electronic memory.Other forms of non-transitory and/or tangible computer readable storagemedia not list may be employed with the disclosed embodiments.

A number of such components can be combined or divided in animplementation of a computer system. Further, such components mayinclude a set and/or series of computer instructions written in orimplemented with any of a number of programming languages, as will beappreciated by those skilled in the art. Computer instructions areexecuted by at least one central processing unit. In addition, otherforms of computer readable media such as a carrier wave may be employedto embody a computer data signal representing a sequence of instructionsthat when executed by one or more computers causes the one or morecomputers to perform one or more portions of one or more implementationsor embodiments of a sequence.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described,the invention may be modified and adapted to various operational methodsto those skilled in the art. Therefore, this invention is not limited tothe description and figure shown herein, and includes all suchembodiments, changes, and modifications that are encompassed by thescope of the claims.

I claim:
 1. A shooting game with a dynamic scoring system comprising: A)a target mounted in a support frame, B) a digital camera mounted on saidsupport frame with a sensor resolution of at least 2 million pixels, C)wherein said digital camera is located above the target with a view ofthe target, D) wherein a distance of said digital camera to the targetis not greater than the maximum of: a) the width of said target, or b)the height of said target, E) wherein a constant light illuminates thetarget, F) a sequential hole made in the target during the shootinggame, G) wherein said digital camera captures video images of thesequential hole made in the target, H) wherein the video imagesincorporate said target and are displayed on at least one game display,I) wherein the video images are processed by image processing equipmentto determine a location of a new hole in the target by comparing acurrent image to a prior image substantially one second earlier, whereinsaid current image is free of shot vibration, J) wherein said locationof the new hole is recognized when at least 0.02% of pixels change fromsaid current image to said prior image, K) correcting the location ofthe new hole for vertical and horizontal distortion, L) scoring the newhole in the target relative to scoring markings on the target, M)displaying a marker on the game display that identifies the most recenttarget hole location, N) updating the shooting game score, O) whereinthe video images are processed by the image processing equipment todetermine the location of the new hole in the target by the stepscomprising: 1) converting the video images to grayscale images, 2)filtering the grayscale images by averaging the RGB values of sequentialimage pixels with immediately surrounding sequential image pixels, 3)comparing the filtered grayscale images to identify any image pixelchange from a prior baseline image, 4) wherein said prior baseline imageis substantially 1 second in the past, 5) examining a surrounding onesquare inch area of any changed pixel for other changed pixels andperforming a changed pixel count in the one square inch area, 6)identifying the new hole when the number of changed pixel counts in theone square inch area exceeds a threshold value of 25%, and 7)identifying an averaged pixel location of the new hole based on anaverage changed pixel location in the one square inch area.